Mechanical musical instrument



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

W. H. GILMAN. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No 403,834. Patented May 211889.

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W. 'H. GILMAN. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 403,834. Patented May 21 1889.

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WVILLARD H. GILMAN, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES E. DRESSER ANDlVlLLlAM S. REED, BOTH OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,834, dated May 21,1889.

Application filed July 21, 1888. Serial No. 230,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, XVILLARD ll. GILMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Chimes;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to self-playing instruments, and more particularlyto a system of producing musical sounds from chimes or bells in whicheach bell or bells representing a particular musical note yields itssound by the operation of electromagnetic means.

My invention consists in certain details of construction, arrangement,and combination of parts, all of which will be fully described, andspecific points of novelty in which will be designated in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in frontelevation, showing one form in which my invention may be embodied. Fig.2 is a vertical section of Fig. l,

' parts being broken away for the sake of space.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view showing the annunciator, its hammer,and the electromagnetic means for actuating the latter. Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view of the circuit and connections, showing my inventioncomplete. Fig. 5 is a modification of the diagram shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2, designates asuit-able ornamental easing of any approved shape or construction,having the inner recessed compartment, B, containing the source ofelectricity by which the electro-magnets are energized. The casing A issupported upon a base, 0, consisting of the top plate, a, bottom plate,Z), and side plates, 0 (1, respectively. As shown in Fig. 2, this base 0is provided with an illner compartment, D, in which is located themechanism controlling the production of musical sounds by the severalannunciators. This mechanism consists of arotating cylinder, E, mountedin suitable bearings, c, and provided with the pinion f, formed integralwith one end thereof and interlneshing with the larger pinion, g, whichlatter forms the actuating instrumentality of the clock-work mechanismF. (Shown conventionally in the drawin This clock-work mechanism may beof any approved or desired construction or pattern, or, indeed, it mightbe an electric motor, if preferred, the object being merely to giverotary motion to the cylinder E.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and l, G G represent a series of springcontactdingers rigidly attached at one extremity by the bindingposts 7Lto a piece of insulation, 2', and each hearing at its free extremityupon the cylinder E. The contact end of each spring G is formed curved,as shown in Fig. 2, so that a ver y small area is in metallic contactwith the cylinder E. It will also be observed that the insulation, 1',is in both diiterent horizontal and vertical planes from the cylinder E,each contact-spring curving obliquely down from its insulated support 1'to the cylinder E. Thus it will be seen that the tension of each springG is exerted obliquely and downwardly in the direction of the arrow uponthe cylinder E.

Each contact-spring G is connected through binding-post 71 by asuit-able wire, j, with its corresponding eleetro-magnet H, which inturn is in circuit by wire 7; with one pole of the battery I, the otherpole of which is in electrical communication with the shaft of thecylinderE by the wire 1 and contact-brush m. Each electro-magnet H issecured in close proximity to each pole upon a base or bracket, 11, andhas its free extremity attached in an opposite plane upon the curvedstem 1) of the annunciating-hammerK,whichis made of springy or flexiblemetal and has one extremity rigidly attached to the arm q of the bracketor, while its other free extremity is provided with a metallic ball orknob, 0*,which in turn rests normally out of contact with the body ofthe bell J.

The object of making the stem 1) of the annunciatinghammer K of springmetal is to dispense with the use of a retracting-spring for withdrawingthe armature after it has been attracted by the adjacent pole of theelectro-ma-gnet H, for the reason that the said stem p, being rigidlyattached at one extremity and having its other extremity pass ingthrough the perforation s in the base 92, serves to react and replacethe armature O to the face of the cylinder E, and, further, will itsnormal position after the magnet H has become de-energized. However, itwill be well understood that instead of employing this construction theordinary non-elastic bellhammer may be utilized, provided asuitableretracting-spring is attached thereto. similar to the key of the Morseinstrument.

Referring again to Fig. 2, L and L designate two drums or rolls mountedupon suitable bearings, as shown, and capable of rotation in thedirection of the arrows, and M designates another roll similarlyconstructed and rotatably journaled, so that it will in its revolutionmake impact with the face of the cylinder E. On one end of each of therespective rolls L and M is a small pulley, 25. Over these pulleys worksthe cross-belt u, whereby the motion which is transmitted from thecylinder E to the roll M is communicated to the roll M".

N designates anendless web or sheet of paper arranged to travel in thedirection of the arrow over the roll L, between the springfingers G andthe cylinder E, under roll M, over roll L, and down to the point t,where it falls by gravity in a heap similar to the continuously-fed tapeof a stock-ticker. The endless web or paper N is provided with a seriesof relatively-arranged perforations, w w, as shown clearly in Fig. 4,which latter correspond in location, position, and length to the pitchand duration of the note represented by the particular bellcorresponding to such perforation, and as the web N passes over thecylinder these perforations w w are brought or registered in properposition or sequence with the spring contact-fingers G G under theinfluence of the actuating clockwork. Thus as each perforationw 10passes under its respective contactspring G. the free end of the latterwill by virtue of its tension be forced through such perforation intometallic contact with the face of the rotating cylinder E, therebyclosing the circuit from the battery I by wire Z, brushm, cylinder E,spring G, wire j to its respective electro-magnet H, which latter isenergized and causes the attraction of its armature 'O, and consequentlythe impact of the annunciator-hammer against the bell I, thus producinga musical note corresponding to the note of the bell struck by thehammer.

In Fig. 2 is shown a switch which serves the dual capacity of openingthe circuit from the battery to the cylinder E and of stopping theoperation of the clock-work mechanism. The purpose of this switch isobvious, since by a single movement of the same the passage of the sheetend over the cylinder Ewill be arrested, and at the same time thecircuit from the battery I will be opened. Owing to the tension of eachcontact-finger G being exerted in the direction of the arrow and thedirection of rotation of the rolls M L, the endless sheet N will be keptperfectly taut against be continuously fed by friction in the direcbymeans of wire j with four bells, all capable of yielding the samefundamental note. Thus when any contact-finger G closes the circuitthrough a perforation, 'w, in the sheet N four bells will besimultaneously sounded. In this arrangement each electro-magnet H H ofthe respective four bells is in series with each other. In Fig. 5 thearrangement is substantially the same, except that the electromagnets HH are placed in divided or multiple are circuit. In both of theseconstructions the operations will be substantially similar. However,various changes in the windin'gand construction of the electro-magnetswill lead to differential results in the duration and difference in timeof the musical notes emit-ted by the several bells.

It will be readily seen that since the chimes heretofore in use arecongregated or assembled together in close proximity to the audience thesounds yielded by the several bells are deafening and commingled, andare consequently deficient in a great measure of the mellowness andcharm which can be obtained by the arrangement constituting myinvention.

Of course it will be understood that the selection of the several sizesand shapes of bells is of great importance, and due precaution must betaken in carrying out my invention to adjust the place of impact of theannunciator-hammer against the bell, so that its stroke will yield thefundamental note of the latter. A good bell when struck yields one note,so that any person with an ear for music can determine what it is. Thisis called the consonant, and when it is perfectly heard the bell is saidto be true. Any bell of moderate size may be tested in the followingmanner: Tap the bell just on the curve of the top and it will yield anote one octave above the consonant. Tap the bell about one-fourthdistance from the top and it should yield a note which is a quint orone-fifth of the octave. Tap it two-fourths and one-half lower and itwill yield a tierce or one-third of the octave. Tap it strongly justabove the rim and the quint, tierce, and the octave will now soundsimultaneously, yielding the consonant or key-note of the bell. If thetierce is too In either case the bell is said to be the metals, but uponthe due proportion of the metal to the caliber of the bell. The largerthe bell the lower the tone. Thus it will be understood that in themanufacture and arrangement of the several parts representing thechromatic scale great care must be eXercised.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of a plurality of bells severally representing one ormore musical notes, electro-magnetic means for severally actuating saidbells, an electric circuit in eluding said electromagnetic means, aseries of spring-fingers, G, controlling said electric circuit, therotatable cylinder E, also included in said electric circuit, clock-workmechanism for rotating said cylinder, the perforated sheet N, passingbetween the fingers G and the cylinder E, and guiding-rollers M, L, andL for said sheet, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a plurality of bells, of electro-magnetic meansfor severally actuating said bells, an electric circuit including saidelectro-magnetic means, a series of springfingers, G, also included insaid circuit and severally connected with their respectiveelectro-magnetic means, a single bar of insulation separating andsupporting said springfingers G, a rotatable cylinder, E, also includedin said electric circuit, the perforated sheet N, passing between. thefingers G and the cylinder E, clock-work mechanism for actuating saidcylinder E, and guiding-rollers for the said sheet N.

As a new article of manufacture, the combination, with the casing B,having a receptacle for the battery 0, of the battery C, locatedtherein, a series of bells, A A, mounted upon the casing 13 in asuitable manner, electro-magnetic means for actuating severally saidbells, an electric circuit extending from said battery 0 to saidelectro-magnetie means, a series of spring circuit-controllers severallyconnected in said electric circuit and normally resting upon the face ofthe metal cylinder, a metallic cylinder also included in said electriccircuit, a sheet of flexible material provided with perforationsarranged to pass between said spring circuit controllers and saidcylinder, and mechanism for feeding said perforated sheet between thecircuit-controllers and cylinder, the whole being mounted upon asuitable casing, in the manner shown, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XYILLARD H. GILMAN.

\Vitnesscs:

GEO. II. E. TROUVELOT, JOHN G. ELDER.

